International Journal of Civil and Structural Engineering Research ISSN 2348-7607 (Online) Vol. 6, Issue 2, pp: (161-184), Month: October 2018 - March 2019, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
Achieving Acoustic Comfort in the Architectural Design of a Lecture Hall Adekalu Oluwasayo Benjamin1, Halil Zafer Alibaba2 1
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, North Cyprus
2
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, North Cyprus
Abstract: Lectures hall and classroom in Universities are occupied by students and advisors or Instructors for lectures but the acoustic design for these buildings are neglected and student get distracted or cannot clearly hear and pay attention to the lecturers. Acoustic design of these spaces go a long way to affect both the Instructors and students in terms of audibility, communication between the students and instructors or Advisors, comfortability, performance of students in class discussion and in general and so on. From this research, the integration of Acoustic comfort will be achieved through the Architectural design rather than active means and the discussion of both means of achieving Acoustic comfort or Architectural Acoustics is reviewed in the literature review. This research will study possible noise sources and measures or technologies that can be integrated into the architectural design of a lecture hall or classroom to aid acoustic comfort. Some of this noise sources may include HVAC, background noise from outside the lecture space, low sound insulation building materials and so on. The architectural acoustics of a lecture hall or classroom is very important for students to acquire the most knowledge they can and this research will use a case study to analysis the acoustic comfort of the lecture space and propose a suitable design to achieve acoustic comfort within the lecture hall. A software will also be used to estimate the noise level within the selected Case Study to determine the level of noise pollution which will made proposing a suitable design and material selection more feasible. Also this research will discuss the advantages or benefits of acoustics comfort in a lecture hall or classroom. Keywords: Architectural Acoustics, HVAC, Sound Insulation, Acoustic Comfort, Acoustics.
1. INTRODUCTION Acoustics is the sound related quality of anything which cuts across various profession and fields of study including Architecture, medicine, Engineering and all science related courses. According to physicians, Hearing is one of the most crucial means of survival in the animal world, and speech is one of the most distinctive characteristics of human development and culture [3]. In Architecture, Acoustics involves promoting or enhancing beneficial sound and suppressing unwanted sound that might be harmful to the occupants. Acoustics in Architecture can be incorporated as part of the Architectural design or as an Active means usually proposed by Acoustics experts or Engineers in a way that it does not affect the aesthetics of the building but sometimes the Architectural acoustics design and active means can both be used in buildings depending on the building function for examples Concert Halls. Acoustic Comfort is the well-being and feeling of a building or house occupant by suppressing or eliminating intruding noise from the environment or building itself and enhancing speech and quality of music based on the building function to make the building a productive and useful space for an occupant. According to Research, well designed environment and building with acoustic comfort makes the occupants perform better and be free from unwanted sound diseases or illnesses. In school and office, Learning and working is less stressful and tiring when the unwanted sounds are eliminated and there is better communication and concentration. Harmful sounds or noise affect not just the occupants hearing but the whole body mentally and physically with diseases or illnesses such as headache, displeasure, psychosomatic illnesses, decreased physical and mental performance and so on. Thus, when we are acoustically comfortable, when noise is eliminated and we can clearly hear beneficial sounds, we are more productive, happier and healthy.
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